An experimental investigation was carried out at DOE NETL on the humid air combustion process using liquid fuel to determine the effects of humidity on pollutant emissions and flame stability. Tests were conducted at pressures of up to 100 psia (690 kPa), and a typical inlet air temperature of 860°F (733 K). The emissions and RMS pressures were documented for a relatively wide range of flame temperature from 2440-3090°F (1610–1970 K) with and without added humidity. The results show more than 90% reduction of NOx through 10% humidity addition to the compressed air compared with the dry case at the same flame temperature. The substantial reduction of NOx is due to a shift in the chemical mechanisms and cannot be explained by flame temperature reduction due to added moisture since the comparison was made for the same flame temperature.

1.
Martinka, M., 1940, U.S. Patent No. 2,186,706.
2.
Bhargava
,
A.
,
Colket
,
M.
,
Sowa
,
W.
,
Casleton
,
K.
, and
Maloney
,
Dan
,
2000
, “
An Experimental and Modeling Study of Humid Air Premixed Flames
,”
ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power
,
122
, p.
405
405
.
3.
Day, W., and Rao, A., 1992, “FT4000 HAT With Natural Gas Fuel,” International Gas Turbine Institute, ASME Paper IGTI-Vol. 7, ASME Cogen-Turbo, Book No. 100333.
4.
Lupandin, V., Romanov, V., Krivutsa, V., and Lupandin, V., 2001, “Design, Development and Testing of a Gas Turbine Steam Injection and Water Recovery System,” ASME Paper No. 2001-GT-0111.
5.
Dryer, F. L., 1976, “Water Addition to Practical Combustion Systems—Concepts and Applications,” Sixteenth Symposium (International) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, PA.
6.
Miyauchi, Y., Mori, Y., and Yamaguchi, T., 1981, “Effect of Steam Addition on NO Formation,” Eighteenth Symposium (International) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, PA.
7.
Blevins, L. G., and Roby, R. J., “An Experimental Study of NOx reduction in Laminar Diffusion Flames by Addition of High Levels of Steam,” ASME Paper No. 95-GT-327.
8.
Touchton, G. L., 1985, “Influence of Gas Turbine Combustor Design and Operating Parameters on Effectiveness of NOx Suppression by Injected Steam or Water,” ASME Paper No. 84-JPGC-GT-3.
9.
Meyer, Jean-Louis, and Grienche, G., 1997, “An Experimental Study of Steam Injection in an Aeroderivative Gas Turbine,” ASME Paper No. 97-GT-506.
10.
Bhargava, A., Kendrick, D., Colket, M., Sowa, W., Casleton, K., and Maloney, D., 2000, “Pressure Effect on NOx and CO Emissions in Industrial Gas Turbines,” ASME Paper No. 2000-GT-97.
11.
Mansour, A., Benjamin, M., Straub, D. L., and Richards, G. A., 2000, “Application of Macrolamination Technology to Lean, Premix Combustion,” ASME Paper No. 2000-GT-0115.
12.
Kendrick, D., Bhargava, A., Colket, M., Sowa, W., Maloney, D., and Casleton, K., 2000, “NOx Scaling Characteristics for Industrial Gas Turbine Fuel Injectors,” ASME Paper No. 2000-GT-98.
13.
Fischer, A., Frutschi, H., and Haselbacher, H., 2001, “Augmentation of Gas Turbine Power Output by Steam Injection,” ASME Paper No. 2001-GT-0107.
14.
Zeldovich
,
J.
,
1946
, “
The Oxidation of Nitrogen Combustion and Explosions
,”
Acta Physicochim. URSS
,
21
, p.
577
577
.
15.
Fenimore, C. P., 1971, “Formation of Nitric Oxide in Premixed Hydrocarbon Flames,” Thirteenth Symposium (International) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, PA.
You do not currently have access to this content.